Remote object activation in a distributed system

• US 6,957,427 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1997
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Peter C., Scheifler, Robert W., Waldo, James H., Wollrath, Ann M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, SUE X
• Application Number:
  US08/950,760
• Time in Patent Office: 2,925 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/682, 395/185.1, 395/701, 395/200.33, 709/1, 709/100, 709/102, 709/104, 709/106, 709/315, 709/330, 719/315, 719/316, 719/330, 718/1, 718/106, 718/104, 718/102, 718/100, 707/103.R
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449

Abstract

A distributed computer system uses a single interface at the client site to handle calls to call both active and passive remote objects. Accordingly, the calling process does not need to be aware of distinctions between active and passive objects. Further, remote objects are aggregated into common groups of objects, thereby providing greater security between objects of disparate groups and efficiency between related objects of the same group. Preferably, different groups are run on different Java virtual machines.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of remotely activating objects, the method comprising:

receiving a first request to activate a first object of a first object group;

in response to the received first activate request, determining whether a first virtual machine associated with the first object group exists;

if it is determined that the first virtual machine does not exist, creating the first virtual machine and a first activation entity for managing the first object group associated with the first virtual machine; and

forwarding the first activate request to the first activation entity associated with the first virtual machine,

wherein the first group of objects is a first subset of all objects that can be remotely activated, and

wherein objects of the first object group are executed only in the first virtual machine.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first object group comprises objects that a user predetermined to be in the first object group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first activate request is received by an object activator; and

the object activator passes the first activate request to the first activation entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual machine only executes on objects in the first object group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first activate request is sent by a first computer; and

the first activate request is received at a second computer different from the first computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first virtual machine is created in the second computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request to activate a second object of a second object group;

in response to the received second activate request, determining whether a second virtual machine associated with the second object group exists;

if it is determined that the second virtual machine does not exist, creating the second virtual machine and a second activation entity associated with the second virtual machine; and

forwarding the second activate request to the second activation entity associated with the second virtual machine,

wherein the second group of objects is a second subset of all objects that can be remotely activated,

wherein objects of the second object group are executed only in the second virtual machine, and

wherein no object in the first object group is in the second object group.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first virtual machine only executes on objects in the first object group; and

the second virtual machine only executes on objects in the second object group.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the second object group comprises objects that a user predetermined to be in the second group.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second activate requests are received by an object activator.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the object activator is coupled to the first and second activation entities.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first activate request is sent by a first computer; and

the first activate request is received at a second computer different from the first computer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first virtual machine is created in the second computer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the second activate request is sent by the first computer; and

the second activate request is received at the second computer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second virtual machine is created in the second computer.

16. A computer-implemented method of handling an object call for an object, the method comprising:

receiving a first object call to remotely activate a first object;

in response to the received first object call, determining whether a first object group corresponding to the first object is active; and

if it is determined that the first object group is not active, creating the first object group and activating the first object within the created first object group,

wherein creating the first object group comprises instantiating a first virtual machine and a first activation entity associated with the first virtual machine, and activating the first object within the created first object group comprises forwarding the first activate request to the first activation entity associated with the first virtual machine,

wherein the first object group is a first subset of all objects that can be remotely activated and objects of the first object group are executed only in the first virtual machine.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the first object group comprises objects that a user predetermined to be in the first object group.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second object call to remotely activate a second object;

in response to the received second object call, determining whether a second object group corresponding to the second object is active; and

if it is determined that the second object group is not active, instantiating the second object group and activating the second object within the created second object group,

wherein the second object group is a second subset, different from the first subset, of all objects that can be remotely activated.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

creating the second object group comprises creating a second virtual machine and a second activation entity associated with the second virtual machine; and

activating the second object within the created second object group comprises forwarding the second activate request to the second activation entity associated with the second virtual machine,

wherein objects of the second object group are executed only in the second virtual machine.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the first virtual machine only executes on objects in the first object group; and

the second virtual machine only executes on objects in the second object group.

21. A computer-implemented method of remotely accessing objects, the method comprising:

receiving a first request to remotely access a first object of a first object group;

in response to the received first access request, determining whether the first object is active;

if it is determined that the first object is inactive, determining whether there is a first virtual machine associated with the first object group;

if it is determined that the first virtual machine does not exist, creating the first virtual machine and a first activation entity for managing the first object group associated with the first virtual machine; and

forwarding the first access request to the first activation entity associated with the first virtual machine,

wherein the first object group is a first subset of all objects that can be remotely accessed, and

wherein objects of the first object group are executed only in the first virtual machine.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the first object group comprises objects that a user predetermined to be in the first object group.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first virtual machine only executes on objects in the first object group.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the first access request is sent by a first computer; and

the first access request is received at a second computer different from the first computer.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first virtual machine is created in the second computer.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a second request to access a second object of a second object group;

in response to the received second access request, determining whether a second virtual machine associated with the second object group exists;

if it is determined that the second virtual machine does not exist, creating the second virtual machine and a second activation entity associated with the second virtual machine; and

forwarding the second access request to the second activation entity associated with the second virtual machine,

wherein the second group of objects is a second subset of all objects that can be remotely accessed,

wherein objects of the second object group are executed only in the second virtual machine, and

wherein no object in the first object group is in the second object group.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the second object group comprises objects that a user predetermined to be in the second group.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the first virtual machine only executes on objects in the first object group; and

the second virtual machine only executes on objects in the second object group.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the first access request is sent by a first computer; and

the first access request is received at a second computer different from the first computer.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first virtual machine is created in the second computer.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the second access request is sent by the first computer; and

the second access request is received at the second computer.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the second virtual machine is created in the second computer.

33. A system for remotely activating objects, comprising:

means for receiving a first request to activate a first object of a first object group;

means for determining whether a first virtual machine associated with the first object group exists in response to the received first activate request;

means for creating the first virtual machine and a first activation entity for managing the first object group associated with the first virtual machine if it is determined that the first virtual machine does not exist; and

means for forwarding the first activate request to the first activation entity associated with the first virtual machine,

wherein the first group of objects is a first subset of all objects that can be remotely activated, and

wherein objects of the first object group are executed only in the first virtual machine.

34. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for remotely activating objects, the method comprising:

receiving a first request to activate a first object of a first object group;

determining whether a first virtual machine associated with the first object group exists in response to the received first activate request;

creating the first virtual machine and a first activation entity for managing the first object group associated with the first virtual machine if it is determined that the first virtual machine does not exist; and

forwarding the first activate request to the first activation entity associated with the first virtual machine,

wherein the first group of objects is a first subset of all objects that can be remotely activated, and

wherein objects of the first object group are executed only in the first virtual machine.

35. A system for remotely accessing objects, comprising:

means for receiving a first request to remotely access a first object of a first object group;

means for determining whether the first object is active in response to the received first access request;

means for determining whether there is a first virtual machine associated with the first object group if it is determined that the first object is inactive;

means for creating the first virtual machine and a first activation entity for managing the first object group associated with the first virtual machine if it is determined that the first virtual machine does not exist; and

means for forwarding the first access request to the first activation entity associated with the first virtual machine,

wherein the first object group is a first subset of all objects that can be remotely accessed, and

wherein objects of the first object group are executed only in the first virtual machine.

36. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for remotely accessing objects, the method comprising:

receiving a first request to remotely access a first object of a first object group;

in response to the received first access request, determining whether the first object is active;

if it is determined that the first object is inactive, determining whether there is a first virtual machine associated with the first object group;

if it is determined that the first virtual machine does not exist, creating the first virtual machine and a first activation entity for managing the first object group associated with the first virtual machine; and

forwarding the first access request to the first activation entity associated with the first virtual machine,

wherein the first object group is a first subset of all objects that can be remotely accessed, and

wherein objects of the first object group are executed only in the first virtual machine.